Yvonne Joe, in the presence of Theresa Jeffries and others of the Sechelt Indian Band (SIB) Elders, received a memorial plaque last week in memory of her husband Gilbert Joe, storyteller, fisherman and logger.
Paul Jones, chair of Friends of Caren, presented the plaque on Thursday, Sept. 22, for Joe's lengthy association and valuable contribution to Friends of Caren that resulted in the creation of a new provincial park - Spipiyus - located on the Caren Range above Pender Harbour.
The plaque, carved by Tony Paul of the SIB, illustrates the secretive life of the marbled murrelet, its nesting in old-growth forests and fishing habits in coves and inlets of the Coast.
Joe told humorous stories of this bird's presence in local waters and of the Elder's Language Group's choice of Spipiyus, the traditional name for this species. For the park, Friends of Caren member Roger Lagasse arranged for the plaque's carving.
Jones told of Gilbert's dedication to the cause of preserving the ancient forests, now considered the oldest closed-canopy forests in Canada, and how he encouraged others from SIB to follow his example of getting out into the community for the mutual good of the Sechelt Indian Nation and the community at large.
Joe Harrison, a long time member of Friends of Caren, spoke of opportunities for expanding the park beyond the Sechelt Peninsula into a national park covering up to 3,000 square kilometres of the Sunshine Coast, as called for by Ottawa's National Park's website.
Jones expanded on the idea and showed a map outlining possible boundaries taking in Princess Louisa Inlet and parts of Squamish territory to protect biodiversity and traditional native trails and sacred places.
-Submitted
